This
season the Fashion Scout, Ones To Watch platform has named Hannah Williams,
This season the Fashion Scout, Ones To Watch platform has named Hannah
Williams, Helen Lawrence and Renli Su
as the brightest emerging designers for SS14.

Whilst Hannah Williams has already captured
international media attention as winner of the Graduate Fashion Week Innovation
and Wommenswear Award, Central Saint Martins graduate Helen Lawrence received
her design training under the influential hands of both Mark Fast and Alexander
McQueen and Renli Su has graduated from both London College of Fashion and the
highly prestigious China Central Academy of Fine Arts – each designers accolades
demonstrating the sheer talent of this years selection.

Opening the show we saw Helen Lawrence’s trademark
unconventional fabrics and innovative cutting techniques steal the spotlight,
through a palette of grey, black and lime; with elements of soft pink. Her
interest in exploring the possibilities of materials within fashion was
reminiscent in each design, as was her early interest in print technology.
Translucent PVC was met by textured knitwear and bare flesh, with the
deconstruction of tailoring a key theme in this collection.

As the foot-stomping,
upbeat music by Pete Frost exploded into the room, it was clear that Hannah
Williams collection was going to be a sensation. The UCA Epsom graduate
and Graduate Fashion Week Innovation and Womenswear Award winner wowed the
crowd with looks of moulded silicon, glossy pastel colours and textured
fabrics. Her pieces were both intriguing and aesthetically pleasing.

Having studied textiles at
A-level, Williams is a huge fan of experimentation and this really shows
through in her S/S ‘14 collection- it was like seeing her imagination sashaying
down the catwalk. Keep a stylish eye out for this young designer- she has a
shining future ahead of her.

Closing the Ones To Watch showcase, we saw Renli
Su’s collection titled ‘The Tranquility of the Working Class’. Inspired by the
lifestyles of nomadic people, particularly those in Central Asia, Renli’s hand
stitched collection showcased woven details, frayed textures and delicately
crocheted headwear through an earthy palette. The collection was uniformed
through it’s military undertone, androgynous cuts and heavy textured fabrics,
with culture a key theme throughout.